Use zoom and set the camera

By default VideoScribe will draw each element in the centre of the screen. We call this the camera position and you can customise this to control how an element appears on screen.

Customers still using v2 of VideoScribe can download the latest version of the software from your account. Alternatively the v2 version of this instant answer is available here.

Each image and text element you add to the canvas has a camera position set to it. The default camera position given to an element is in the centre and mostly filling the camera view. Once you set a camera position, other than the default for an element, you can move that element around on the canvas and the camera will remain where it is when the image is drawn.

Setting a zoom level and camera position

Step 1. Size your element and place it where you want on the canvas (A).

Step 2. Use the + and - buttons (A) or mouse scroll wheel to set the canvas to the zoom level that you want.

Step 3. With the image selected (A), set the camera position using the ‘Set camera’ icon (B).

This image will now be drawn in your video in the size and position you have set

Tips for using the zoom function

- Zooming can be highly effective, especially when combined with morphing.

- You can have multiple elements on the screen all set to the same camera position except one which is zoomed in more than the others. This creates a strong visual impression where the camera zooms in to the middle image and zooms out again.

- Use more of the canvas rather than zoom excessively. When you open a new scribe the zoom is already set to 100%. There is much more canvas available to use than you can see – click, hold and drag to scroll the canvas in any direction.

- Try and keep the zoom percentage reasonably close to 100% for most of the scribe and use occasional zooming to highlight. The zoom percentage is shown on the bottom left corner of the canvas.

- When an element is added to the canvas it is given a default camera view - no matter how the element is resized or repositioned, the camera will always zoom in, out or pan so that that element is framed in the centre of the camera view when you play the scribe. This can be very effective to highlight an image or some text but less so if you use it a lot.

- To take the camera to the current camera position set for an element select the element and then click on that element again in the timeline.

- A camera position can be removed for an element, or group of elements and set back to the default, by selecting the element(s) (A) and clicking the 'Clear camera position' icon (B).

Remove the final zoom

To stop the scribe zooming out at the end:

Step 1. Click the 'Download or Publish Scribe Video' icon (A).

Step 2. Untick the 'Zoom at end?' box (A) and return to the canvas by clicking the cross.

If you need hold the final zoomed out shot at the end of your scribe, follow these steps.

Step 1. Untick the 'zoom at end' box as described above.

Step 2. Add a new, simple element right at the end of your time line, and away from the other elements on your canvas.

You can add the image with the camera zoomed out and with the element selected, use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the image out of view. When it is out of view, click the set camera icon. You may wish to remove the hand for that element as well as the hand may be visible while the image is being drawn off screen.

Step 3. With this new element selected set your view to the zoomed out level that you want at the end of your scribe (make sure that you can see all your elements, but not the new element you have added) and save this camera position by clicking on the camera icon.

Step 4. Now you can open the image properties of the last element that you added, reduce the animation and transition time to 0 and make the pause length the duration that you want the final frame to hold for.